I have used this phrase "water under the bridge" several times. It is a phrase that has been used to refer to events, or situations, that are in the past, and consequently no longer to be regarded, as important or as a source of concern.
In essence that is what the Apostle Paul meant (in our text) when he talked about "forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to what lies ahead." His past life and all the accomplishments he had made, he regarded as rubbish,(v.8) in comparison to coming to know Jesus Christ. His goal for the future was to press toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. To be all that Jesus wanted him to be, and to do what the Lord wanted him to do.
The past may be a good place to visit from time to time, to learn the lessons that can be applied to the future. But it is never a place to live. The past is gone. Like water under the bridge. Never to be seen again.
So as we enter 2017, let's let go of the past, and embrace all that God has for us, through His Son Jesus, for the future. No matter what the circumstance, either good or bad, we know that the Lord will bring us through, and that when this life over, He will provide a bright future for us. GP
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